Three Years After
by frequent-notorious-paradox
Summary: Gil betrayed them three years ago.


He was still tall Ava observed. When she had first met Gil he had loomed over her, Gil was even taller than Odin. She had remembered his soft gaze and look of concern, how Gil had made you feel safe. Gil had grown, not just in height though. The soft safe look was gone. Ava had grown and changed since then also.

Silence filled the room. She didn't want to do this. Ava hadn't minded the idea of killing TITAN. Ava did fear TITAN, but she knew what her mission was. She had never even met TITAN, well not yet. It's easy to hate someone you have never met, it's even easier to hate someone who caused you to be separated from your only family. Even if TITAN didn't directly cause that, it was just easier to blame him, than someone else.

Ava didn't hate Gil. Wrathia had never liked him, but even she at one point had begrudgingly admitted that Gil was an asset to their team. Gil was an enemy now, he had betrayed them. Ava still couldn't bring herself to hate him though.

"You've grown." Gil said frankly. Ava's heart leaped into her throat, he had said it just like he used to. Three years ago, Ava,Maggie,Odin, and Gil had started their journey to get their desires and stop TITAN. Gil had been devastated, but soon he had seen this as something more. Gil saw TITAN as broken, in need of help. The whole TITAN industry was corrupt they learned. Gil had at first joined them to perhaps fix the corrupt ways and save the followers whom he felt were family.

Gil had travelled with them. Fixed broken bones,mended wounds physical and mental, when Ava had been in her lowest points Gil had been there. Gil had been the brother she never had, she didn't feel romantically inclined towards Gil, she loved him as the brother and family she wished she still had.

He had held her when she scared. Even Nevy had grown close to Ava. _Nevy…_ How was she dealing with this ?

Ava couldn't think of a single thing to say. "How is Nevy…." she mumbled. A lot of things had been on Ava and Wrathia's mind, Nevy had been one of those thoughts. Nevy was close to Wrathia.

Wrathia would never admit it but she loved her warriors like family. She had been hurt when some of them hadn't jumped to her aid. She would never admit that though.

Silence followed her question. Without warning, Gil laughed. It wasn't light or cheerful. His laugh was condescending and it made Ava's skin crawl. Back when Ava was fifteen it probably would have made her frightened. Now a young woman of eighteen, it only made her hesitant and uncomfortable.

"YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW NEVY IS?" Gil was screaming now like a maniac. "YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW THAT SEA HAG IS?"

Ava felt the fire rise in her, her anger and power growing."Don't talk about Nevy…" Ava took a deep breath "like that, she loves you….." Gil smirked "She used to love me, now she fears me."

_This isn't Gil, this isn't Gil. _Ava felt rage. _Gil loves Nevy. Gil loves you. Gil wouldn't hurt Maggie. _She kept rerunning the thoughts in her brain, knowing she was lying to herself. Maggie had been dead for three years.

They had decided to complete Tuls half of the pact before Maggie's,there had been warning signs of Gil's mutiny. Signs that Ava should have seen. _Be smart Ava_, Odin had whispered. She hadn't listened.

TITAN got to Ranunculae first, Gil had informed TITAN's army of her location. TITAN's people killed Ranunculae. Maggie's pact failed. Gil left, and Ava fell into a deep depression.

It took her months to recover, Odin and her afterwards went into hiding on his planet to regroup. Odin had helped her a lot during then. Wrathia for once even let Ava have peace. Those were dark months. On the television TITAN had broadcasted how 'a covert agent' had helped take down one of the infamous seven.

_The Infamous Seven._ Now they were the infamous six. Soon to be the infamous five if Ava couldn't save Gil.

"You know Ava, you never seemed the killing type." Gil swayed when he said this, "you were always a troubled girl, such a stupid girl." He began pacing the room as a he spoke. He hadn't made a pact, he wasn't immortal. Yet Gil seemed so cocky, as if he was playing chess with a baby. That didn't mean Ava was totally safe. If Gil knocked her unconcies, then she would be caught. If she were captured by TITAN immortality would become a curse. Immortality prevented death, not pain.

"I love you Gil." Ava whispered. Gil wasn't going down without a fight, neither was Ava. "I can't save you….I couldn't save Maggie, and I can't save Nevy." She was quivering now, not out of fear but determination, the fire in herself which she hid so well now bubbled to the surface. "What I can do is avenge Maggie, and free Nevy." The words of confidence weren't fake, she wasn't pretending anymore. She was going to kill Gil.


End file.
